Characterization of element and mineral content in Artemisia annua and <i>Camellia sinensis</i> leaves by handheld X-ray fluorescence

Abstract

Tea infusion is the most frequently worldwide consumed beverage next to water, with about 20 billion cups consumed daily. Artemisia annua leaves contain comparable levels of nutrients and mineral elements (dry matter basis) to many marketed tea (Camellia sinensis) leading us to suspect that this crop could also serve as an alternative source of nutrients for humans. Analyzer moveable X-ray fluorescence is used to evaluate the content of major, minor and toxic elements in A. annua from two different countries compared to six marketed tea in Senegal. To ensure qualified results, certified reference materials were used to perform the calibration. The very low and often negligible levels of inherent elements in the leaves, which are far below recommended toxic levels, establishes A. annua and selected marketed tea as a good reservoir of elements that might favour its use as a potential herbal tonic by humans. The mineral elements are present in different kinds of herbal leaves in various proportions depending on soil composition and the climate in which the plant grows.

Keywords: X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Artemisia annua, Camellia sinensis, elements, leaves, medicinal plant

African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(26), pp. 4179-4186